The Belvoir Cricket & Countryside Trust are committed to help change children’s futures through the power of sport and play and the joy of outdoor learning. To this end, our focus is on giving children opportunities to access sport and outdoor education.
Here are a few statistics which will shock but, at the same time, probably won’t surprise you. According to new research by the Youth Sport Trust, children in the UK are:
- Unhappier – 20.3% of children aged 8 to 16 in England have a probable mental health disorder
- Unhealthier – 23.4% of Year Six and 10.1% of reception children in England are obese and rates are higher than before the pandemic
- More distracted – 78% of parents believe that children are spending too much time online and not enough time with each other in person
“This powerful new research clearly shows the importance of young people taking part in sport and physical activity at school. We know that healthy and happy children learn better.
In particular, more needs to be done to ensure that girls remain active throughout their school careers. We have seen both enjoyment and participation levels in PE drop in recent years and as this latest research shows, taking part in sport can play an important role in life satisfaction and happiness for girls.”
Ali Oliver MBE, CEO at Youth Sport Trust